Eco Schools
In December 2008 we launched the bid for the Eco Schools Green Flag Award. The Eco Schools organisation provides a framework within which we as a school can improve our awareness of the environment. We want the St Helen’s community to become a pioneer for sustainability and, yes, if we do win the award we get a real green flag!
A team of volunteers make up the St. Helen’s Action Team which leads the initiative with representatives from all sections of the school, and holds regular board meetings with local residents and parents, teachers, the bursar, Mrs Morris and governor Jacqui Lewis.
This is very much a long-term, whole school programme rather than being confined to the few in the Action Team and consequently every year group is involved on some level, whether it be through the Green Classroom Guide and competition which includes turning off all lights when not needed, recycling and caring for class plants. Recycling bins mean students actively engage in the recycling process, so that we are aware of the consumption of office materials. In the dining room, plastic cup bins have been installed and as part of the environmental initiative, Brookwood, our caterers, compost uneaten food from Little St. Helen’s in their wormery and waste from the rest of the school is mixed with pig slurry where the methane produced is fed back into the national grid, reducing overall energy wastage.
One of our more recent projects was Sustainable Transport to School Day, where we saw 51% of senior school travelling by car and 22% car sharing, compared to 72% travelling to school by car according to the earlier School Travel Plan Survey. That was a 21% drop in the use of private cars on a day when there was a tube strike, which is very impressive. If we could start incorporating small changes like using public transport more often, into our lives, it would make a big difference.
We recently held the school's first annual Eco Week during which the whole school engaged in a programme of activities to raise our awareness of environmental and sustainability issues. The highlight of the week was Earth Day when everyone enjoyed a morning of environmentally-themed lessons followed by an afternoon of fun environmental activities.
We are committed to the idea of sustainability where financial need is balanced with longevity; an approach that is key to the long term survival and prosperity of the human race. We aim to become a role model for the local area and are submitting the application for the Green Flag Award at the start of the next academic year.
